"As one grows older, either constant improvement or deterioration takes place. There is no standing still in life; life is motion, and one cannot stand still and yet remain in motion. The very forces which keep you alive depend upon activity. We sometimes hear persons speak of preserving their present condition, physically, but in reality there is nothing you can do to preserve a certain degree of health, strength or development. When such a condition is apparently taking place, it is necessary to strive constantly to improve in order to hold a certain standard; otherwise you are really slipping, even though slightly. Up to maturity, providing no condition of disease is present, one should continue to improve physically, and having reached that stage, the average man begins to deteriorate. The wise individual takes steps to continue improving and to prolong the age of actual and inevitable decline. Each of us has some sort of "before" and "after" history. At maturity, we are either better or worse physically than we were in our youth. In middle age, we have either improved or deteriorated. You will hear average men speak of how good they were "before" and how badly they have gone back "after." However, among physical culturists, the average story is just the reverse, and it is far from uncommon to hear almost unbelievable tales of how much improvement has taken place between "before" and "after". It resolves mainly into the manner in which your life is conducted. Each person holds within himself the power for improving; by following certain known rules, and living in a sensible manner, any person who is not suffering serious disease may realize the joys of a strong, enduring, vital life of health." - Mark H. Berry This is a 6" by 9" original version, restored and re-formatted edition of Mark Berry's 1930 classic with almost 500 pages. Visit our website and see our many books at PhysicalCultureBooks.com
About the Author: "Mark H. Barry was a successful national weight lifting champion, author and trainer. He was born in Chicago in 1896 the son of an engineer and inventor. His father's family was of Scottish descent by way of Northern Ireland and his mother's family traces their origins to New Amsterdam in the 1600's. He was the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting coach at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was the first Olympic weight lifting coach for the U.S. He was a successful feather weight champion in the American continental weight-lifters association (ACWLA) in the mid 1920's After his success as a weight lifter he focused on teaching others. Berry advocated drinking milk and focusing on compound movements especially heavy squats for building power and bulk. He is considered one of the pioneers on weight lifting with his classic books physical training simplified and the Mark Berry bar bell course. He also edited several magazines published through the Milo Barbell Co. Mark trained a young John Grimek who he met in the late 20's. Grimek would later win the Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles. After his success with Grimek and others he was selected to be the head coach for the 1932 and 1936 United States Olympic weight lifting team of which John Grimek was a participate in the later. He continued to instruct throughout the 40' and 50 as a head physical trainer for the BUR Barbell Company". -(From Wikipedia)